Liquid amylaryl phosphite compositions and alkylate compositions for manufacturing same

Abstract

Alkylate compositions comprising a monoamylphenol in an amount ranging from 25 weight percent to 99 weight percent and a diamylphenol in an amount ranging from 1 weight percent to 60 weight percent, the weight percentages being based on the total weight of all components in the alkylate composition. The invention is also to processes for making such alkylate compositions and to processes for forming stable liquid amylaryl phosphite compositions from such alkylate compositions.

1. A method for forming a phosphite composition which phosphite composition is a liquid at ambient conditions and comprises at least two of a tris(diamylaryl)phosphite; a tris(monoamylaryl)phosphite; a bis(diamylaryl)monoamylaryl phosphite; and a bis(monoamylaryl)diamylaryl phosphite, the method comprising: contacting one or more amylenes with a phenol at a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 6:1 in the presence of a catalyst and under conditions effective to form an alkylate composition comprising
 a monoamylphenol in an amount ranging from 25 weight percent to 99 weight percent; and 
 a diamylphenol in an amount ranging from 1 weight percent to 60 weight percent; 
 wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of all components in the alkylate composition; and 
 reacting a phosphorus polyhalide with the alkylate composition to produce the phosphite composition. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of monoamylphenol to diamylphenol in the alkylate composition ranges from 5:1 to 1:2. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 50 weight percent of the monoamylphenol in the alkylate composition is substituted with amyl groups in the para-position. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 10 weight percent of the diamylphenol in the alkylate composition is substituted with amyl groups in the ortho-position and the para-position. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the monoamylphenols and diamylphenols combined are present in an amount greater than 90 weight percent, based on the total amount of all phenols in the alkylate composition. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 90 weight percent of the amyl groups are tert-amyl. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the monoamylphenol in the alkylate composition is 4-tert-amylphenol and the diamylphenol in the alkylate composition is 2,4-di-tert-amylphenol. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the 4-tert-amylphenol is present in an amount ranging from 45 weight percent to 80 weight percent and the 2,4-di-tert-amylphenol is present in an amount ranging from 10 weight percent to 50 weight percent. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the alkylate composition contains less than 4 weight percent tri-alkylaryl compounds. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst used when contacting one or more amylenes with a phenol is selected from the group consisting of Bronsted acids and Lewis acids. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of acid clay catalysts, cationic ion exchange resins, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, BF 3 , trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and phosphotungstic acid. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst used when contacting one or more amylenes with a phenol is anhydrous. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contacting of one or more amylenes with a phenol occurs at internal temperatures ranging from 60° C. to 200° C. and pressures ranging from 0.2 atmospheres to 10 atmospheres.